Shape design optimization of road acoustic barriers featuring top-edge devices by using genetic algorithms and boundary elements

This paper presents a Boundary Elements (BE) approach for the efficiency improvement of road acoustic barriers, more specifically, for the shape design optimization of top-edge devices in the search for the best designs in terms of screening performance, usually represented by the insertion loss (IL). With this aim, a procedure coupling BE with Evolutionary Algorithm is proposed in pursuing barrier configurations with ever higher IL. The complexity normally associated with such designs raises the need to consider some geometric simplifications in order to ease the shape optimization processes. In this way, the overall barrier configuration is modeled as both thickness and null-thickness bodies (the boundary thickness is neglected), as representatives of very thin elements. Such an idealization requires a Dual Boundary Element formulation that allows the problem to be solved. The procedure is applied to 2 D problems and numerical results are presented on the basis of simulations on noise barriers with three different top designs. It is a quite simple process that makes use of well-known both formulations and procedures. The improvements observed in the designs obtained invite to further studies in the same line on devices with similar applications.